Blues boss Mourinho tried to claim his side would be the underdogs whoever they drew in the quarter-finals and that the other six survivors all wanted to draw one of the Premier League due left in.

Mourinho said: "There's nothing to choose between anyone. All the big teams are there.

"Sometimes you have an outsider in the quarter-finals - a team nobody expected to be there, with little experience or potential - but that's not the case.

"The big candidates are there. All the big teams, the teams of the moment but also the teams with history. So we have to be really happy to be among the best teams.

"I think all the other clubs would have wanted us or United. We are the two outsiders because the rest are last year's finalists, the two Spanish giants, a fantastic Atletico and PSG with everything they represent."

The tie will centre on the personal relations between the two clubs, with PSG keen to acquire both Eden Hazard and David Luiz from the Londoners and Chelsea still very interested in Edinson Cavani, if the Uruguayan were to become available.

But Mourinho's bond with Ibrahimovic, who played for him at Inter for one year but was then sold to Barcelona in the deal that brought Samuel Eto'o to the San Siro, will another fascinating sub-plot.

Ibrahimovic spoke of his reverence for "super-coach" Mourinho in his recent autobiography, revealing that the Chelsea boss took time to follow him and stay in touch even after selling the Swede.

Chelsea played PSG in their very first Champions League game under Mourinho - a 3-0 win in the Parc des Princes in 2004 - but since then the French side have been bought and financially transformed by the Qatari royal family.

PSG coach Laurent Blanc said: "We knew that we would draw a team of great talent and Chelsea are one of those teams.

"Playing the second leg at home is a small advantage for Chelsea. It means we have to look to make the difference at our home."

The French side's Brazil international defender Thiago Silva said: "I'm happy, because Chelsea has many Brazilian players, with David Luiz, Ramires, Oscar and Willian.

"It will be a great duel between two great clubs. And I hope that, unlike last season, we will reach the semi-finals. We have to see if we can do enough so that the second leg is not decisive."